Hawai’i!

Pristine beaches, warm white sands, crystal clear blue green waters, lush green tropical rainforests and temperatures not soaring above 80 degrees F… Sounds like the ideal holiday ain’t it?

Hawai’i is a transcending Polynesian beauty, a celestial piece of the earth in the middle of nowhere.

Surrounded by heavy volcanic activity, that was responsible to create this island in the first place, continual magmatic eruptions under the Pacific ocean are responsible to create and add more fresh land, to this ever expanding island.

We planned our trip with much vacillation between Cancun, Mexico and Hawai’i; with the former being more financially plausible, as we were getting all inclusive deals for Cancun, as opposed to barely making a round-trip airfare to Hawaii in that amount. We arrived at a decision, when with a bit more of research into our miles account, we were able to cover the airfare for Hawai’i; and decided to thus venture into a more unconventional jaunt. Being big fans of the series “Lost” too aided our decision, which was btw shot almost entirely in Oahu 🙂

We started our week long vacation, by boarding a direct flight from Phoenix to Maui, that took about 6 hours to get there. Hawai’i Standard time or HST lags by 3 hours from PST, which gave us an early headstart when we landed, at 1pm HST.

A key thing to note while vacationing here, is to get up by 4:30 am and enjoy the day till about 7pm. The city is not well lit after dark and there are no skyscrapers as well 🙂

Exploring the city of Kihei: Maui

Kihei is the southern part of the island of Maui. We booked a condo on the beach, which was fully equipped with a kitchenette, cooking condiments, vessels et all… We were in for a surprise when we saw beach chairs, umbrellas, floating noodles, tennis racquets and a beach volleyball.

We stayed at the Kihei Bay Surf, right opposite the beach and a high priced Indian restaurant called Monsoon India, which had a stunning view facing the ocean.

Renting a car is a must in Maui, especially if you are self exploring wanderlust and haven’t booked guided tours. Ofcourse, guided tours are good, however it costs anything between $30-$50 extra, for them to pick you up from your choice of place. We rented a car from the airport, and it took us 15 minutes to get to our abode.

Our twitchy feet got us exploring the parts of Wailea and the posh golf resorts around after we freshened up; we were originally booked for a Luau at Grand Wailea resort, but due to a sudden downpour, the event was cancelled and it was rescheduled for us the following day…. and we’ll get to that part soon 🙂

After a tiresome exploration (6 hour flight, followed by jetlag with the 3 hour time difference), we shopped for groceries, to inaugurate our cute kitchen.

Spectacular sunset by our beach awaited us, followed by which we decided to head to Monsoon India for a rather expensive meal. Although the view is definitely breathtaking from the restaurant , my recommendation is to get your own beach chairs and food, or barbecue some hot food and enjoy a sumptuous meal besides the beach.

Snorkeling & Snuba diving in Molokini crater & Turtle town

Our day kick started early in the morning at 6am, where we reported at the harbour to take off on a day long cruise exploring the ocean, snorkeling in 150 feet deep blue waters, with a 100% visibility down till the ocean bed thriving with rich marine life and corals at the cresent shaped, partially submerged Molokini crater. The crater is infact a seabird sanctuary. The interesting part about rich coral reef here, is that there is no barrier reef supporting it.

Luau at Lahaina

We witnessed some of the best performances by the Hawaiians through the luau, followed by roasting a big boar, which is served as the feast for later in the evening. Don’t worry, there is plenty of vegetarian options to choose from, but this is truly a meat lovers paradise!

Surviving the Road to Hana

What a trip! I recount my experiences to Hana every second day, through the winding roads that challenge your attention at every nook and corner. We were advised to buy the CD that talks about your journey while on this road, and makes recommendations for pit-stops. I must say – the waters are the same, but every pit stop was unique in its own way!

I will never forget the black sand beach with rich blue waters sweeping you off your feet or the beautiful waterfalls that were a treacherous trek alright! But what a beauty!!!

Nature has its ways of making you feel like a small fry, in this large world, by amazing you with beautiful wonders. Hawai’i is the place to see new land being born, and I must say- it is awe-inspiring to say the least!

The black sand beach is nothing but the lava that just cooled down to form new land! What an array of contrasting colors to start with!

I will let my pictures speak for themselves.

Black Sand Beaches

Haleakala Crater

We drove to this mindblowingly breathtaking crater early in the morning at 4am; only to catch the first rays of the sun peeping and bursting through the clouds and painting the skies with spectacular colors. Now yet again, Hawai’i manages to surprise one, as imagine an island, having snow and ice on top of a crater! Snow, Ice, Heat all in once place!

We spent a few hours here before driving back to our resort and were left in amazement.

Island Hop: Big Island – Hilo and Hana, Oahu – Honolulu

First of all, the flight from Maui to Hilo is the most scenic ride ever! We were cruising at a low altitude, that gave us the privilege of watching beautiful waters, mountain ranges and volcanic craters over an hour’s ride. Upon reaching Hilo, we were taken to Kona, and served pure Kona coffee. If you are a coffee connoisseur, this one is a must-buy!

Then we had lunch and drove to Hawaii Volcanic National Park, to experience live volcanoes, see lava flow, steam vents, mind boggling volcanic activity at every nook and corner and lava glow. This has to be my be my best trip ever!

Live Lava flow, Ash Plumes, Steam Vents ands more…

Sunbathing & Swimming in the divine Beaches of Hawai’i

Kabini 2014

Having lived in Bangalore, albeit for a short period,  I look for opportunities to drive not too long, yet as remote as possible into the wild. Kabini happens to be one of them. This beautiful forest is about a 4 hour drive from Bangalore.

Kabini is home to a plethora of wildlife such as Tigers, Elephants, Foxes, Leopards and deer to name a few. Kabini forest reserve is part of the Nagarhole National park, which also encompasses Bandipur and Masinagudi forest reserves, alongside the banks of the Kabini River.

We stay-put at the spectacular Red Earth resort, the rooms of which were breathtaking. Each cottage was a room by itself, with rustic feel on the inside, and each having its own private Jacuzzi. What better way to enjoy a silent night while immersing yourself to the pleasures of warm water and aromatic bath salts, while appreciating the star studded sky!

The hosts and owners at Kabini are also very hospitable and go out of your way to make sure that you have an enjoyable stay. There is a swimming pool, coracle rides, birding safari, a vintage looking bar and a classy lotus pond, all in one campus! A unique performance would be hosted every evening at Red Earth – mostly performed by the locals; but what you see is sure to take your breath away!

In the morning, we took the early morning canter ride for our safari. The first thing we spotted was a tigress, who was coming to the watering hole to quench her thirst. Apart from the regular sightings of the deer, mongoose, foxes and elephants, we were very lucky to spot the elusive leopard!

This sly cat, left his scent mark on a tree and then went on to climb it. Quite an awesome sight to see, just a few meters from ourselves.

If you want a more exclusive jeep ride, you would have to request for the same in advance. Somehow, we were going with a laid-back holiday mood. It is only later we realized that maybe the jeep safari would have been better.

On the flip-side, none of the jeeps spotted the tiger or the leopard 🙂

So overall, we had an amazing trip! If you are on to quench your wildlife thirst, the lush green Kabini is the place more than Bandipur which on the other hand is quite dry and deserted.

Jungle Retreat, Masinagudi

Masinagudi, Mudumalai forest

If you are a nature lover, wildlife admirer and an enthusiastic birder looking for a relaxed getaway, Masinagudi is an idyllic place to be. I had heard of raving reviews of a resort called the Jungle Retreat, a family owned business, in the heart of the Mudumalai jungles, devoid of any fencing where animals come for a “retreat” in the true sense of the word and was very excited to experience this.

The drive to Masinagudi is about 5 hours if you go via the Mysore road from Bangalore.

A good time to start would be early – by 5:30am, stopover at Kamath for a hearty breakfast to reach in time for sumptuous lunch at the resort.

I could wax eloquent about this resort (so apt to its name) and the place, however here are a few of my best memories from Masinagudi.

• A rustic looking resort, we were welcomed by Rohan and Smriti, the owners of Jungle Retreat who explained about the resort to us in great detail.
• One can spot some beautiful birds and wildlife in the campus itself.
• If you are planning to venture out of your cottage after 6:30pm, you will be mandated to be escorted by one of the employees, lest you happen to encounter a bear or a leopard 😉
• The swimming pool looks like a natural emerald pool, facing the Nilgiris, adding only more oomph to the whole feel of it.
• What’s more? It doubles up as a watering hole for animals. So don’t be surprised to have deer and goats during the day time drinking water while you are busy doing laps 😉
• We were shown some captivating footage laid down by the camera traps in the resort, to show us the visitors at night 🙂
• Elephants, leopards, sloth bears are regulars apart from the thriving population of deer.
• The 32 acre campus has a plethora of colorful birds, which is a treat to the eyes to say the least!
• If you are an enthusiastic photographer, your fingers would eternally be locked to your camera shutters.
• The food is mouthwatering in terms of taste and spread.
• The inn before the pool has this charming appeal to it, with avant-garde wooden furniture, an ever-patient server in the company of some fantastic storytelling of the owners. Alcohol is not really served here, but you can buy your own from the local market.
• The resort is also home to plenty of friendly and playful tamed dogs and cats.

Tips:

• Go for the Birding walk early in the morning, to spot the best of the birds before it gets too hot.
• Opt for the evening Jeep safari ride. It is enthralling to say the least… if you are lucky, you may end up spotting leopards.
• We spotted some really cool chameleons in pitch darkness that glow like leaves. Camouflaged really well, they look really cool clinging on to branches and shrubs.
• Drive to the Singara coffee estate early morning at 6am, where you can spot beautiful Great Indian Malabar Hornbills in their habitat. Although, make sure you are inconspicuous in shooting a video/taking pictures so as to not disturb them.
• On your way, you might get lucky in spotting the elusive cats, elephants, bisons, civets, chameleons, deer and mongoose.
• Walk around the campus of Jungle Retreat to spot some really exotic birds like the colorful Indian Pitta, Brahminy Starlings, Tickles Blue Flycatcher, Red Vented Bulbuls, woodpeckers, shrikes and what not!
• If you are looking for a couple’s getaway, opt for Room #11, which is a rather large suite with beautiful outdoor sit outs.
• The tree house is also an experience not to be missed.

The drive back from Masinagudi is also quite enriching in the number of birds one can spot before hitting Mysore. We halted at Royal Orchid for a lunch buffet that closes sharp at 3.30pm. If you have some more energy left, you can stopby at the Ranganthitoo bird sanctuary and reserve to see beautiful birds in their habitat. In addition to birds, you will spot a number of crocodiles basking in the sun on the rocks.

If you have some time, opt for an hour long boat ride and ask for sightings of the baby crocs.